• May 7, 2007

Waltzing down the aisle in something fabulous just got cheaper: Target unveiled its first wedding-dress collection on Sunday.

The company describes the Isaac Mizrahi for Target bridal collection (the designer's first foray into wedding duds) as "affordable luxury" and "reinventions of the classics," priced from $9.99 to $159.99.

Target's move follows H&M, which included a limited number of $349 wedding dresses in last fall's Viktor & Rolf line. The low-end chic segment appears to be wide open: On average, Americans are said to spend about $800 on a wedding dress, with $2,600 to $2,900 considered mid-range. Even Disney dresses, which offer gowns inspired by a favorite cartoon princess, can run as high as $3,000. And a Vera Wang frock can set a girl back $15,000.

Target is already a big player in budget weddings, and claims its Club Wedd is the biggest wedding registry in the country. (No snickering at the idea of the newlyweds toasting each other with plastic stemware: A recent NPD study found that many brides, especially the practical and budget-conscious, are likely to skip high-end items entirely. Instead, they choose cookware, everyday tableware and kitchen appliances.

--Sarah Mahoney